


The Angel with a Thoron

by bright_side_of_the_sun



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Angels, Army General Annette, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama & Romance, F/M, Guardian Angel Felix, Guardian Angels, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Annette Fantine Dominic & Mercedes von Martritz, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27520693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bright_side_of_the_sun/pseuds/bright_side_of_the_sun
Summary: Get in, complete the mission if he could, get out. Felix had done this too many times to count. There was no time point in hoping for something better, something more, because humans always disappointed; Felix had learned that many years ago. And despite her bright smile and her lively energy, this one would be no different.
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 19
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

“So you were about to leave for another mission without even stopping to say goodbye? Or hello, for that matter.” Sylvain stood in the doorway to the weaponry, leaning against the frame and wearing an injured expression. “I’m hurt, Felix.”

“Not like I had a choice, I only got in a week of training before they forced me to go back.” Felix scowled, examining the edge of the steel blade in his hand. Felix completed his inspection with a satisfied nod and sheathed the blade, finally turning towards his friend. 

“Put those away, you’re blocking the doorway.” 

Sylvain finished yawning and obligingly retracted his snow-white wings.

“What poor human is getting stuck with you this time?” Sylvain asked, following Felix down the hall.

“Some general in an army. She might be able to end the war.” The humans’ yet-unaccomplished destiny was the only detail guardian angels ever received regarding how they were to guide the humans.

“Oooh,  _ she _ ?” 

Felix couldn’t even muster the energy to roll his eyes. The human had the potential to end the decades-long war in Fodlan, and of course Sylvain chose to focus on the fact that she was female. “Like I’d waste time keeping company with a human.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it, Felix. We have to leave those poor souls eventually. What better way to ensure we live on in their memories than an ethereal dalliance with the guardian angel to whom they owe their fate - hey don’t roll your eyes at me.”

Felix’s attention lingered briefly on the training ground as they passed by, but he tore himself away. Unfortunately, further training would have to wait until his next mission was over. The wooden floorboards beneath Felix and Sylvain’s feet gave way to green grass as they exited the white walls of the Archangel’s palace. They stopped and stood side by side, staring out at the grassy plains that stretched on indefinitely. 

“Well alright then,” Sylvain said, shifting his feet. “Take care of yourself, Felix. Don’t ignore the Archangel when you’re summoned, don’t tell the humans what you are unless it’ll get you into bed with a  _ gorgeous  _ girl. In that case, go nuts. Tell her I said hi, even.” 

Felix resisted the urge to punch the other man. Sylvain was speaking lightheartedly as usual, but they both knew that Sylvain was just stalling. They also both knew that Felix appreciated the time spent together, even if he would become a human before admitting it. After all, Felix could have teleported to the human world from anywhere in the angel’s realm. There was no reason to walk outside before doing so, except to have a little more time with his friend.

“I’ll see you after,” said Felix.

And with a swirl of black feathers, he was gone.

* * *

Contrary to the literature that was so common in the human realm, guardian angels didn’t follow their humans around and change the world at their whim. They were indeed assigned to humans who had potential for great purposes, but they provided support and nothing more.  _ Guardian angels do not reveal themselves or their purpose. Guardian angels do not meddle in human events.  _ There were the cardinal rules, meant to maintain human autonomy.

Felix found his wares at one of the angel outposts in the human world, since he was to masquerade as a weapons merchant in a market close to the front lines. The marketplace itself was to be his station. It was an unspoken rule that guardian angels stay at their stations and because of this, Felix would be fastened to this area for the entirety of his mission, like a dog on a leash. 

All that mattered to Felix was that the mission ended quickly, so he could stop babysitting humans and return to training.

Only a few days after setting up his weapons stall, Felix saw her. The girl matched the description he was given: straight red hair that fell to just below the shoulders, small in stature. He heard her humming tunelessly as she approached, but did not look up from the blade he was sharpening, even when she stopped suddenly in front of his stall.

"Excuse me," he heard her say.

Felix looked up to see the girl standing in front of him with a hesitant smile on her face. 

"Can I try this out?"

He glanced at the weapon she was pointing at, the only warhammer in his stock, and nodded his assent. This human was the one he was looking for, all right. According to intelligence, her own warhammer had been recently lost in a battle. Moreover, few traders sold them, which guaranteed her interest in this particular one. 

Felix watched as she picked up the hammer and hefted it, testing its weight. Apart from the sword hanging on his belt, the hammer was the only weapon he had personally chosen in his entire stock. Felix had been interested in human weapons ever since his first assignment. With the additional information he had requested from intelligence, he was certain that the hammer was uniquely suitable for this human. She swung it around, careful not to hit any passers-by, and he found himself watching her closely. She wore a look of serious concentration that resonated with him; and despite the fact that he knew this weapon was a good match, he was surprised by how well she wielded it.

The human brought the weapon back and placed it on the counter, predictably satisfied with its feel. 

"How much does this cost?" she asked as she pulled out a pouch that jingled with coins.

"1000 gold."

Felix raised his eyebrow at her as she made a small squeak and almost dropped her pouch. She tried to mask the sound by clearing her throat and drew herself to her full height, attempting to look as dignified as possible.

“That price is too high,” she stated imperiously. “How about 500 gol-”

“No.”

“Okay, then 700 go-”

“No.”

“800 g-”

“No.”

“Wha- you won’t even bargain for it? Isn’t that a  _ little  _ too stingy?” All pretense of formality was discarded; the girl stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Felix was vaguely confused by the contrast between the displeased girl in front of him and the fearsome soldier he had caught a glimpse of when she was handling the warhammer.

“No,” he repeated simply, resuming the sharpening of his sword. 

She gaped at him in disbelief before throwing her hands in the air in frustration. 

“Fine,” she muttered, casting one last longing look at the warhammer before she started walking away.

“I can hold it for you.”

She paused, then she spun around and darted back to his stall. “Really?”

“I’ll hold it for two weeks,” he said, placing down his whetstone and sword. When the Archangel had given Felix his assignment, he had stressed upon Felix the need to keep the warhammer. It ensured that she would return at least one more time, and hopefully continue to do so.

“Ooh thank you, thank you!” she exclaimed excitedly, grabbing his hand in both of her own and shaking it gratefully. 

Felix blinked, discomfited. It had been a long time since anyone, let alone a human, had touched him. She noticed him staring down at where his hand nested inside hers, and she quickly released him. A slight blush crossed her cheeks as Felix’s eyes rose slowly to gaze at her.

“Sorry,” she said abashedly. “So, you’ll be here for a couple of weeks at least?”

He nodded silently, perturbed at how she had drained his mind of all thought. 

“Then I’ll see you again… what is your name?”

“Felix,” he said, finally finding his tongue.

“I’m Annette,” she said with a smile. “I’ll be back in a few days, Felix!” 

Felix’s eyes warily followed the sprightly girl as she skipped away, once again humming unintelligibly. She was unexpectedly disarming; he would have to be careful of her.

The human.

_ Annette _ .

* * *

Sure enough, Annette reappeared a couple of days later with a shoulder-length blonde haired woman in tow. Annette was speaking enthusiastically with the other woman but walked with a distinct limp.

“Hi Felix!” she called brightly as she came closer, her cheery demeanor contrasting heavily with her obvious injury. “Mercie, this is Felix, that super stingy trader I told you about. Felix, this is Mercie! She’s my best friend and the army’s head doctor because she's the best doctor in the entire country!”

“I’m Mercedes, and it’s great to meet you,” the woman said with an amiable smile. Felix’s eyebrow twitched at Annette’s description of him, but he tilted his head in greeting nonetheless.

“Still got my warhammer?”

Felix nodded but kept his attention on Annette. “What happened?” he asked, frowning as he gestured at her leg.

“Oh! This is nothing,” she said, waving away his concerns. “I just got a small injury in a skirmish on the front lines. It’s already improved so much thanks to Mercie, so I’ll be healed up and ready for battle again in no time!”

“And then you’ll try to take on another battalion by yourself and get injured all over again,” Mercedes sighed.

Felix’s frown deepened.

“Wait.”

He dug through the goods underneath his stall. Hundreds of years ago, armies had healers instead of doctors who could have healed a twisted ankle like hers in no time. But humans had lost the secrets of performing magic ages ago; now it only existed in legends, and with angels. No, he certainly couldn’t heal her; he didn’t know healing magic anyway. But, he could provide potions or salves. Those, at least, humans had not forgotten.

When Felix resurfaced with a vial, Annette and Mercedes were still talking. 

“-would have lost the opportunity. Besides, even Dimitri agreed that we dealt a decisive blow by taking him out!”

“Annie that’s not the point. If you keep doing this-”

Felix waited uncomfortably for a few minutes before he cleared his throat. As the humans stopped conversing and turned to look at him, he held out the vial to Annette.

“How much does this cost?” Annette cautiously asked as she appraised it.

“It’s free. Consider it a discount on the warhammer.”

“Thanks,” Annette said, surprise prominent on her face as she took the bottle. After turning it around in her hands, she broke out into a wide grin.

“Yeah, no problem,” he mumbled. She certainly was easily pleased, and despite his earlier vow to remain alert, she still threw him off guard. His disorientation was compounded by the fact that Mercedes was giggling behind her hand in a way he decidedly did not like. 

He brushed the confusion from his mind as the women left. He was here on a mission, and he had learned early on not to get attached to humans. Once his support was no longer necessary,  he would leave. Whether that condition was reached through the success of the human achieving their purpose, or through a more ominous reason, didn’t matter. Felix settled down with one of the swords in his stall and for the rest of the day, occupying himself with cleaning his wares.

* * *

Annette visited his stall regularly after that, checking on her warhammer almost every day. Sometimes she would bring Mercedes or another friend with her, but more often than not she came alone.

A week after her limp healed, Annette sported a different injury. 

“Still got my warhammer?” Annette asked as she approached Felix’s stall. 

“As long as you’ve got my money.” 

This had become their customary greeting, and Felix felt a small smile start to rise unbidden every time they exchanged it.

“Oh, I will! And then I’ll be the most fearsome warrior in the country. The enemies will cower before Annette Fantine Dominic and Crusher!” 

“... Crusher?” 

“Yes, I already named it,” she said brightly. “Crusher and I will strike fear into the hearts of our enemies!”

“It’ll strike them as something, all right.” 

The sarcastic reply dropped from his lips before he could stop himself, but Annette simply laughed. “They won’t think it’s so funny when I knock ‘em out. Pow!” 

Felix almost smirked at her antics, but something felt off. Normally she smiled and laughed without effort, but today it seemed as if she was forcing her usual positivity. As if to confirm his suspicions, Annette grimaced and gingerly touched her upper arm after a particularly spirited gesture.

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing! Nothing, I’m fine.” 

Felix stared at Annette in askance, and she waved her other hand dismissively. “In the last battle, the enemy set off some fires, and a lot of people got injured. My injury isn’t that bad in comparison, really. Some of us… some of us weren’t so lucky.” Annette stared across the market and fell silent. 

Felix felt a pang in his chest as he watched her. War was an ugly, destructive thing. Each death that occurred on the battlefield was a permanent scar on the hearts of those left behind. There were no words that could take that pain away; he understood this himself. All he could do was try to help her heal. 

With other humans, he would have stopped himself. With other humans, he  _ did _ stop himself. Getting involved in their emotions meant getting attached to them. While that did not break any celestial laws, it broke his own personal code. Yet seeing this particular human, who seemed so bright and cheerful despite her grim surroundings, hurting in this way… Against his better judgment, Felix rummaged around in his pack until he found what he was looking for.

“Hey.” 

Annette was still staring absentmindedly away from him. Felix hesitated for one moment longer but reached out to touch her hand anyway.

Annette reacted with a surprised yelp, causing Felix to almost drop the jar of ointment in his hand. 

“Shit, don’t scare me like that,” he hissed. 

“Sorry! Sorry,” Annette said, chagrined. “Just got lost in my thoughts.”

A flash of guilt passed through Felix. “It’s fine,” he said gruffly, handing her the jar. “Here. It’ll help with the burn.” 

A small smile reached Annette’s face as she received it, and Felix let go of the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

“Thank you, Felix,” she said as she pocketed the item. She pulled out her pouch of coins and made to drop some on the counter but Felix stopped her without thinking, clasping her hand so it stayed closed over the coins. 

“That’s not necessary,” he said quietly. They were both wearing gloves, but he swore he could still feel the warmth of her hand.

“Thank you, Felix,” she said again, more softly this time, and he offered her a smile in return.

They both jumped as a couple of screaming children ran by, and Felix dropped her hand as if it were hot iron.

“A-- Anyways,” Annette said, stuttering while she tried to pull her money pouch out of her pocket and drop the coins back in, “You’ve been nothing but generous to me. I’ll have to stop telling people you’re a stingy trader.”

Felix almost laughed, but he quashed that uncharacteristic reaction before it could surface. Instead, his face settled into a slight smile. “Please do.” 

After Annette left and the market closed for the day, Felix thought back on the conversation with a sinking feeling in his chest. Plenty of humans failed to achieve their destinies, he knew it was better to assume they would. They didn’t understand his lessons, they made the wrong decisions, sometimes those bastards even went off and got themselves killed. 

Felix shook his head to clear his thoughts. He already liked this human, more than he deemed safe. But she had proven a propensity for injury already, and he would be damned if he set himself up for further disappointment.

* * *

It had been days since Annette last stopped by, and Felix was in a particularly irritable mood today. A customer had approached Felix to buy a sword that morning. That customer proceeded to try almost every sword in the stall, waving them around incompetently before deeming all of them unworthy.  _ Guardian angels do not meddle in human events _ . Felix had been trying to determine whether punching a human in the face would be considered “meddling” when the customer finally left. 

As Felix cleaned his swords, seething, he noticed a pair of green eyes staring at him.

Felix glared back.

“Go away.”

The green eyes blinked slowly at him and to Felix’s immense displeasure, their owner jumped and settled onto his lap.

“Now what did that poor cat do to deserve that look?”

Felix’s eyes snapped up and saw Annette, holding her hand out towards the calico cat purring in his lap. The tension in his shoulders immediately melted away as he watched Annette try to coax the animal towards her. The cat jumped onto the counter and sniffed her hand curiously, and a smile tugged at his lips as it leapt away and Annette let out a disappointed “Oh.”

“Felix, get her back!” Annette pleaded, turning to him. 

“What? What am I supposed to do?” 

“Use whatever cat magic you used in the first place!”

“Cat magic?” he asked, still amused.

“Oh, you know what I mean. Don’t make fun of me,” she said, swatting his arm playfully. Felix’s grin fell as she took a sharp breath and gripped her arm. 

“Is that the same injury...?” With how much medicine he had given her, in the days since he last saw her, her shoulder should have been all but healed. 

“Yeah I, um, ended up giving the medicine to some others. Their burns were really bad, Felix,” she rushed out as he opened his mouth. “They wouldn’t have been able to heal without it, and I’ll be fine with some more time and Mercie’s help. I’m sorry Felix, I know you gave me the medicine to help me feel better and I just gave it away, I shouldn’t have done that without asking you first but I didn’t want you to be mad and--”

“Here.” Felix had rummaged through his pack as she was talking and pulled out a second jar of medicine. 

Annette stared at the jar, then at him, speechless. “Felix, are you sure?” She finally said. 

“I’m sure. Just use at least some for yourself this time. After all,” he said matter-of-factly, “I still have your warhammer.” 

Annette laughed in obvious relief, and Felix felt a weight lift. 

“And I’ll have your money. Oh!” Annette exclaimed as the calico jumped back onto the counter. Annette outstretched her hand for a second time. This time she passed the inspection and the cat pushed its head into Annette’s palm, purring as Annette gasped in delight. 

“Oh Felix, she’s beautiful,” Annette said, voice full of wonder as she gently petted the calico. 

“Yeah,” Felix said softly, watching how Annette’s blue eyes lit up, injury forgotten. “Yeah.”


	2. Chapter 2

Felix snapped to attention as a pouch of coins was dropped violently onto the counter of his stall. It was late in the afternoon and he had been engrossed in polishing his own blade, which he took far greater care of than any of his wares. As such, his attention was occupied as Annette sauntered up to the stall and presented her payment to him. “One thousand coins,” she said triumphantly. “Still got my war hammer?”

“Well,” Felix said as his lips were drawn up into a smile. “Looks like you’ve got my money, so Crusher is all yours.” He pulled the war hammer out from underneath the counter and unwrapped the layers of cloth covering it. 

Annette grabbed the handle and lifted the weapon in awe. “It looks even better than when I first saw it.” 

Felix felt a twinge of pride. He had kept it in pristine condition for the last week, preparing it for Annette. “You just haven’t seen it in a while.”

Annette stepped into the empty clearing behind Felix’s stall and took a few practice swings, laughing. “Felix!” Annette pointed at him, bringing the war hammer to rest on her shoulder. “Spar with me.” 

Felix raised his eyebrows at her challenge.

“Don’t give me that look, I know that sword you carry around isn’t just for show. The market is closing, there aren’t a lot of people left, and I just got a shiny new weapon that I want to try out. Just one or two sparring sessions? Pleeease?” 

“Fine,” Felix conceded with a shrug. He had of course been practicing on his own; he hadn’t been able to train with someone else since he left the angel’s realm. Annette’s proposition was a good excuse to do so. 

At least, that was what he told himself. He agreed because it was an opportunity to train. Nothing more.

Annette bounced on the balls of her feet as Felix packed his wares. She backed a distance away as he drew his sword and approached, and they both dropped into ready positions.

Annette jumped forward and swung. 

Felix parried the blow, deflecting her weapon to the side. He cut towards her, but Annette brought the handle of her weapon up and blocked his attack. She jumped back and swung again. This time Felix dodged to the side, hoping to throw her off balance. Instead, Annette carried her momentum forward and swung her hammer from above. He parried, and their weapons locked against each other. 

Felix noted the concentrated snarl on Annette’s face with surprise as they both jumped back. The Annette he had gotten to know was cheerful and optimistic, despite that underpinning of melancholy that was so common in humans during times of war.

All of those emotions were gone now. As they clashed in a flurry of metal, he saw in full force how Annette faced her war: head-on, with single-mindedness and determination. 

I want her to succeed.

It was a dangerous thought, one that he immediately tried to repress. But she was strong-willed. Earnest. So, so bright. He had spent what felt like an eternity lost in a sea of disillusionment and distrust, and for the first time in so long, he had a glimmer of hope that he could believe in her -- believe in humans again. His emotions warred inside him just as how he and Annette sparred.

Annette cried in shock as Felix disarmed her and brought his sword up to her throat. They both stood there, panting from the exertion.

“Do you yield?”

There was a pause. “Fine, dammit.” 

They both blinked in surprise as cheers burst out from the market. They looked over towards the stalls where a small crowd of onlookers had gathered to watch their sparring. Upon realizing the match was over, the group started crowding in, obviously eager to ply the two with unwanted questions and conversations. Felix and Annette both took a few steps back before they realized they wouldn’t be able to run away. 

“Felix, don’t leav-”

Felix didn’t hear the rest of her sentence as he immediately left, almost laughing at the flash of betrayal he saw cross Annette’s face before she was swallowed by the small mob. He picked up Crusher and settled in his stall, pulling out supplies to clean both weapons. One glare was enough to send away any humans looking to speak with him, and they crowded around Annette instead. 

After some time, the crowd finally dispersed and Annette returned to Felix. Or more accurately, stomped towards him. 

“What the hell, Felix!” Annette stormed. “How could you leave me alone to face all of those people?”

“I’m not sure what you mean. I just went to retrieve Crusher.” He tried to keep a straight face as he noticed her pink cheeks and slightly disheveled hair. It was a good look on her.

“Don’t give me that,” she snapped. “You escaped. Leaving me to be tortured, Felix. Tortured!”

“It looks like they just wanted to praise you,” he said mildly, lips twitching. 

“What’s more, you chased them all towards me!” she said angrily, continuously punching his arm with both fists. “Half of them came to talk to me about you because you scared them away like some sort of- some sort of swamp beast!” 

Felix let out a bark of laughter and immediately regretted it. Annette had frozen mid-punch, and her jaw had dropped open in shock. 

“Felix, did… did you just laugh?” 

He flushed and averted his eyes. “You imagined it.” 

He could feel her glee as she danced around him, trying to catch his gaze. “No I don’t think I did,” she said in a sing-song voice. 

Felix himself felt like he could die right there.

Annette burst into laughter. She stopped in front of him, hands clasped behind her back. “Alright, Mr. Ice Man.” 

He furiously stifled another laugh. 

“How about we call it even then? This misery you’re clearly going through makes up for the suffering you put me through. We can even shake on it.” 

Felix finally allowed himself to glance at Annette. She was standing with her hand outstretched, beaming at him. Her cheeks were still pink.

“Alright then,” he relented, grasping her hand and shaking it. “I cleaned your weapon,” he said, letting go of Annette’s hand and gesturing towards the hammer sitting in his stall.

“Yeah you better have,” she said with the smile still on her face. 

Felix watched as she looped the weapon into a belt strapped across her back. “You’re skilled.” 

Annette scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning against the stall counter. “You can’t fool me Felix, I could tell you were holding back.”

“I’ve been training my entire life.” And that was much longer than she knew. “But I’m serious. You’re good.”

To Felix’s surprise, he saw some frustration in her eyes as she looked up towards the sky.

“Good enough to end the war?”

Felix’s heart stopped. 

“What?” 

Did she know about his mission? Who he was? There was no way she could, yet how else could she know about the fate he was pushing her towards?

“Nothing!” she said, laughing as she tore her gaze from the heavens. “Just a jo-” 

“You are.” 

Annette’s lips parted in surprise and she stared at him with wide eyes. 

He hadn’t decided whether or not he believed it until the words came out unbidden. It wasn’t just that she had the potential -- the fact that he was here was proof enough of that. He couldn’t deny any longer that he did want her to succeed. He wanted to witness her changing the world in the way that only humans could. He wanted everyone to see her and cherish her in the way that he could not.

Felix could still feel his heart hammering in his ears as he slowly walked towards her. He didn’t know if she was indeed joking. But if she was to know anything, she had to know this. 

“You are good enough to end the war. I know it.” 

Annette stared at him for a moment longer before taking a step towards him. Then another. And suddenly she had wrapped her arms around him. Felix froze. How long had it been since someone had embraced him? 

“Thank you, Felix,” Annette said, her voice muffled in his chest. 

His pounding heart did not slow down upon Annette’s touch. But he slowly relaxed his arms and held Annette to him, willing this to be enough to give her faith. From the way she squeezed him in return, he knew that it was.

* * *

“Do you want to go to the Harvest festival with me?” Annette blurted out unintelligibly.

“Hello to you too,” Felix said, bemused. “What was that?”

Annette was standing in front of him, shifting her feet anxiously and staring determinedly at the ground. Mercedes had come as well, but was standing a distance away for some reason. It had been a week since Annette purchased the war hammer, a week since that heart-stopping conversation. Since then, she hadn’t spoken at all about the war or given any indication that she thought he was anything other than a human merchant. Felix himself had been hesitant to broach the subject; if indeed his cover was blown, he would be immediately summoned back, unable to return. She had seemed tense since then though, and all the awkward conversations of the last few days seemed to culminate to this moment of unintelligible babble.

“There’s a festival being held in this marketplace in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering if you wanted to… go with me.” Annette’s face was bright red as she trailed off.

“Oh,” Felix said stupidly as he felt his face heating up as well. He had heard about the festival; all of the merchants in the square were discussing it. It was going to be the first festival in months, celebrating the harvesting season. He hadn’t imagined at all that this was what had been bothering Annette.

“I, um.” Guardian angels were reproved for leaving their stations. But if the festival was being held  _ in  _ the market… He cursed his brain, which had ground to a halt upon Annette’s question, and he struggled to string together any thoughts.

“You don’t have to! If you don’t want to. Festivals don’t happen often and I didn’t know if you’d been to one before or if you liked them or if you know about them or um, you know. Anyways don’t worry about it, I’ll see you around Felix!”

“Wait”. He grabbed her arm before she could leave but immediately dropped it as his own embarrassment surged within him. “I’ll go. With you.” 

“Oh, okay,” she said breathlessly. Her jaw worked itself for a moment, then to Felix’s surprise, Annette rushed forward and threw her arms around him. 

He stared down at her wide grin and twinkling eyes, frozen again. This was the second hug he had received in who knew how long, the last one being less than a fortnight ago. For all the training he had done in his lifetime, he was ill prepared for an onslaught like this. Before he could react, she let him go with a laugh.

“Great! We can- we can talk more tomorrow!” She sprinted away after that and Mercedes followed slowly, giggling herself. 

Trepidation, joy, uncertainty churned within Felix. He would eventually have to leave, he knew that. Spending more time with Annette would make that parting all the more painful. Still… As Annette’s beaming face flashed in his memory, he thought that maybe he could bask in her light a little longer.

* * *

The following day though, Annette did not show up at his stall. Nor did she visit the day after, or the day after that. With each passing day, Felix felt his anxiety rise. Even with her multitude of injuries, she had never taken this long to stop by.

Eight days passed until Felix finally saw Mercedes and Ashe, a silver-haired archer that had sometimes accompanied Annette to the market. They greeted him as they approached, but Felix couldn’t hold back his rising concern. 

“Where’s Annette?”

Mercedes and Ashe gave each other a quick look, and Felix’s stomach dropped.

“She’s fine now.” 

Felix did not miss the qualifier that Ashe added. 

“There was a battle a while ago and she was injured, but Mercedes got her through the worst of it. She’s just healing.” 

Felix realized his fingernails were cutting into his palms, and forcibly relaxed his hands. 

“Felix, she’s okay,” Mercedes said as she laid a hand on his arm. He tried unsuccessfully to draw comfort from it. “She and her team disabled some enemy catapults, but she had a narrow miss when they took out the last one and got a concussion. Her symptoms are improving already, we’re just keeping her on bed rest. You know how Annie is, if we didn’t force her to stay still she would be out and about right now.” 

He nodded as he slowly inhaled and exhaled, attempting to get his breathing under control.  _ She’s okay. She’s okay.  _

“She actually wanted to come by today,” Ashe piped in. “But Mercedes wouldn’t let her.”

“I’m sure she would appreciate guests, Felix,” Mercedes said, her tone gentle. 

“I’ll stop by after I close up shop.” Felix resisted the urge to pack everything up right that moment. The rule that disallowed angels from leaving the marketplace was an unofficial one, so he couldn’t get in any real trouble by leaving, he reasoned. And he needed to see her.

Mercedes and Ashe left to purchase supplies, and Felix recited the phrase to himself like it was a mantra:  _ She’s okay.  _

_ She’s okay. _

* * *

“Felix!” 

The sound of Annette’s voice as he entered the infirmary tent washed over him, and the pit that had been in his stomach all day finally dissipated. It was immediately replaced by astonishment as he beheld her; she was sitting up in her bed, but bandages wrapped her head and both of her forearms, and he could see a shallow but large cut healing on her neck. 

Felix’s mouth went dry. “Mercedes said you just had a concussion.” 

A second passed before she responded, enough time for the pit to reform in Felix’s stomach. The medicines he brought just in case would help with the flesh wounds, but head injuries were beyond the help of the potions that humans had available to them - the only potions he could give her. This was her with  _ improving _ symptoms?

“Oh, yeah.” She said in a tired but cheery voice. “I maaay have scraped my head a bit when I fell, and my arms didn’t do a great job of catching me,” and she unnecessarily held up her arms to show him.

Felix pulled up a chair and sat down next to her bed, unsure what to say.  _ I’m glad you’re okay _ ? She clearly wasn’t.  _ I’m sorry _ ? For what? 

“Why so grumpy?”

Normally her pout would have elicited a smirk from him, but his worry kept it quashed. Instead, Felix slowly reached out and gently touched the scar already forming on her neck. He heard a sharp intake of breath and his gaze met hers; her wide blue eyes could have swallowed him whole. 

He reluctantly pulled his hand away.

“Annette, why do you do this to yourself?” He asked softly.

“Well, I certainly didn’t get hurt on  _ purpose _ -” 

“You know what I mean. Not just  _ this _ ” — he gestured with his other hand — “I’m trying to help, I’m trying to give you what I can, but every time, you just go right back in. I-”  _ I’m afraid for you _ , he realized. And the shock of this realization stopped his words in their tracks. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been fearful of anything. Annette seemed to elicit all of the emotions he had long forgotten.

Annette stared quietly down at her lap. The silence extended until he started to wonder if she had heard him, or if he should call for Mercedes.

“My father was a general in the army.” 

Felix paused - this was the first time she mentioned her father to him.

“A long time ago. He fell in love with my mother, and they settled down as much as they could during a war. Eventually, they had me, and we were happy.”

A small smile graced her face, but there was no joy in it.

“He wasn’t home often, but when he was, he would spend all his time with me. He would make wood carvings as I watched or take me to nearby markets with my mother. And then during a skirmish, something happened under his watch. He never told us what, only that he could have stopped the war, stopped all the fighting, and he failed. And that he didn’t deserve happiness, or mother, or me.”

Felix realized with a start that Annette was crying. His chest constricted.

“I hated that,” she said with a choked laugh. “I know it was selfish of me, but I thought, even if he didn’t deserve happiness, didn’t we? Didn’t we deserve him? But no, he said had to go repent. So he left again… and he didn’t come back.” 

The tears were streaming down her face, and Felix could do nothing but listen on. 

“I joined the army at first because I thought he had come here. And I finally- I finally realized that he wasn’t here. It’s stupid, I know it’s so, so stupid, but I just kept fighting because- because if the war ends then maybe he’ll come back. I just want to see him again and tell him that it’s not his fault and ask him to come back, I don’t know, I don’t-” 

Her words cut off as Felix sat gently beside her. He placed his arms around her, careful to avoid her injuries as she cried into his shoulder. Eventually, her hiccuping sobs faded, and her breathing evened out. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to her. “I didn’t know.” 

She shook her head slowly in his shoulder.

“Do you know what it’s like, Felix?” The words were faint. “To love someone even though they left?”

Angels didn’t have fathers or family. But Felix remembered his first assignment, his first human: Glenn. Glenn had been the one to teach him about swordsmanship. Felix had been so proud of him and how he was going to change the course of history, until Glenn was killed in battle. There was nothing Felix could have done. But he was never able to bring himself to get close to another human again, to place his trust in their abilities. 

Until now.

“I had… a brother. I miss him every day. And I would do almost anything if I thought it would bring him back.” 

“I’m sorry,” Annette murmured. 

“Not your fault,” he said lightly as he stroked her back. She had helped him more than she would ever know.

He held her as her breathing slowed and deepened. When Mercedes stepped into the tent later, Annette was asleep on his shoulder, tears dried on her face. 

“She’ll be okay,” Mercedes said softly. 

“You said she was fine,” he hissed, careful not to wake Annette. “How is this fine?”

“If I had told you the truth, you would have been beside yourself with worry. She  _ is _ better. She  _ will _ get better. I’ll make sure of it.” 

She was right. Felix finally noticed the bags under Mercedes’ eyes, and the tired way she held herself. She must have gotten little to no sleep in the first few days after Annette’s injury. She cared as much as he did, and unlike him, she had been here for Annette.

“I… Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me for taking care of my best friend,” she said simply. 

Felix bowed his head, feeling slightly chagrined. He extracted Annette from his arms and gently laid her down on the bed. 

“I hope you get some rest as well,” he said as he made his way to the entrance of the tent.

“Felix?” Mercedes called softly as he was about to exit. 

He looked back at her. 

“She’s been disappointed before. Don’t put her through that again.”

Felix’s heart stung as his eyes brushed over Annette’s sleeping form. He could do nothing more than nod at Mercedes as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it really a Felannie fic if there's no dad drama? Also might have spent hours looking up concussion symptoms only for it to have almost 0 effect on the plot. At least I know the symptoms of concussions pretty well now!
> 
> This chapter is beta read by TheOtherBucket, check out their works!


	3. Chapter 3

As Felix returned from Annette’s war camp, he felt the familiar buzz in his mind and growled in irritation. Any hope that he had of getting away with leaving his station was dashed. The summons were his least favorite part of his missions, but he had known the risk he was taking when he left. Felix continued walking, but the signal only grew stronger, as he knew it would. Still, Felix stopped and waited until the buzz grew into a throbbing ringing before he relented and teleported.

The Archangel was sitting at his desk as Felix popped into his office. 

“I’m not a dog for you to summon whenever you please,” Felix snapped.

“I wanted to speak to you. And don’t think I didn’t notice you resisting; we’ve gone centuries without having to bring back an angel against their will,” the Archangel said, not looking up from the document in his hand. “Don’t break that streak. I promise it’ll hurt you more than it’ll hurt me.”

Felix scowled and crossed his arms. “What do you want?”

The Archangel finally put down the paper with a sigh and looked at Felix.

“Must you always be so caustic, Felix? You’re the only guardian angel working under me that’s like this.”

Felix stood there silently, mutinously.

The Archangel stared at Felix a moment longer and picked up another sheet of paper, glancing at it before tossing it aside.

“You left your station,” he remarked.

“I didn’t break a cardinal rule.” The excuse felt lame even to him, but it was the only defense he had. 

The Archangel appraised Felix. “No, you didn’t. But I’ve never seen you go this far for a human.”

“As if you give a shit about humans,” Felix snapped. The Archangel’s opinion on them had been made clear to Felix after Glenn.

Ever infuriating, the Archangel did not react to Felix’s outburst. He reached for a sheet on top of the wall of administrative letters sitting on his desk. “Of course I care, Felix.”

“Whatever. Get to the point, old man.”

“I called you for a regular check-in. You’re doing well; the human is on the right path,” the Archangel said.

“You wouldn’t have to tell me in a check-in if you just gave me the damn details to begin with.” Still, Felix breathed an internal sigh of relief. Annette was on her way.

“Need-to-know basis, Felix,” the Archangel said, waving his hand.

“Is that it? You called me here for a pat on the back?”

“That and a warning. I never thought I would have to tell you of all people this, but it seems you’ve gotten attached to this human. Remember that if you break a cardinal rule, you will be stripped of your angel status. I tell you this for your own protection: do not leave your station again.” The Archangel did not once look at Felix as he gave his order. “You are dismissed.”

Felix clenched his fists but teleported away without another word, leaving Rodrigue -- no, the Archangel -- with his mountain of paperwork.

* * *

“Annette, why are you here?” Felix asked, though not unkindly. Annette was kicking her heels against the wooden crate she was sitting on, just a few feet away from Felix. The book she had brought with her laid open but ignored in her lap, as she was busy talking about anything that caught her eye: the axe Felix was sharpening, the cats running around the market, the sweets that were being sold at a neighboring stall.

Twelve days after he had visited her at the war camp, she had been well enough to come by again. To his surprise, she had ended up keeping him company for the day, sitting nearby just as she was doing now. That had been three days ago, and she had come by like this every day since then. He had taken it in stride, enjoying her company, but his curiosity had finally gotten the better of him. 

“Mercie won't let me help with anything related to the war effort,” Annette whined. “She sent me away from the camp so she could ‘stop babysitting me and get to treating other patients.’ She says I’m still healing even though I feel totally fine now! See?” And she jumped off the crate and mimicked the swing of a warhammer, almost hitting a pedestrian. 

Felix smiled. “Head injuries are dangerous. You don’t want to push yourself too hard and end up back in the infirmary. Although knowing you, you’ll end up there anyway,” he said with a flick at her forehead. 

“Ow!” Annette exclaimed dramatically, clasping both of her hands to her forehead. “Felix, is this how you treat someone with a concussion? I’m injured.”

“I thought you said you were fine.” 

“It’s an  _ emotional  _ injury from being bullied.”

Felix chuckled, one of many laughs that she had evoked from him in the last few days. He had been embarrassed at first, but she had said nothing and beamed at him. She did the same now, and as Annette settled herself back on the crate with her book, they fell into a comfortable silence. 

Felix sold a battle-axe to a bulky gentleman and pocketed the coins, watching Annette from the corner of his eye. 

“You’re sure you’re doing well enough to go to the Harvest festival?” It was only a few days away.

She raised her eyes from her book and smiled at his concern. “It’s just a festival. The most strenuous thing I’ll be doing is eating too much. I’m going to eat my bodyweight in sweets!”

“What, all ten pounds?”

“Hey,” she warned, brandishing her book. “I’m small but powerful. You better watch out, or I’ll get you.” 

“I’ll keep an eye out for threats at knee level.”

Felix grinned as he dodged the book.

* * *

Felix stood at the entrance to the marketplace, leaning against the stone pillar. The sun was setting in the sky, with sunset perhaps an hour away. He scanned the crowds before he finally saw the familiar flash of red.

“Annette”, he called, waving his hand. “Over… here.”

He trailed off as she forced her way through the swarm of people and appeared before him. She had discarded her usual simple blue tunic and white trousers for a long dress. Felix drank in the heart-shaped neckline of the solid white bodice with embroidered lace sleeves. His eyes followed the dress down to the light blue skirt that hugged her form up until her mid-thigh, where it dropped down, almost touching the ground. 

“Felix? Hello?” 

“What?” Felix forced himself to look up at her face. As he did, he noticed a light blue flower braided into her hair. 

“Is it too much?” Annette asked, shifting her feet and looking uncharacteristically nervous. “Mercie insisted on me dressing up even though it really wasn’t necessary. I knew it was too much, I can go back and-”

“No,” he rushed out, at a speed that made both of them turn pink. “You look- you look good.”

Annette went from pink to bright red, and Felix could feel his face flush as well. They stood there in a consuming silence despite the throng shifting around them.

“C’mon,” Felix finally said, a quiet smile on his face. 

He stretched out his hand and after a moment’s hesitation, Annette placed her hand in his. His heart lifted as she beamed radiantly. Quick as a flash, she bounced into the marketplace, pulling him along.

“Let’s go! Lots of food to try,” she said, laughing. 

Sure enough, they stopped by every food stall they passed by, trying pies, skewered meats, dumplings, drinks, cakes, buns, and more. 

They finally halted for a break after the sun went down. The lanterns that were strung throughout the market came alive, basking the festival in a warm, golden glow as Annette dropped unceremoniously onto a bench. 

“I don’t think I can walk anymore,” she groaned, all of her previous timidness gone. 

“I don’t understand how you were able to eat more than me,” Felix grunted as he sat down himself. Annette, wanting to try everything, had forced him to eat anything she didn’t want to finish. When he had made to throw away some leftover cake, she had gaped at him in such horror that he couldn’t bring himself to discard the food. And thus, he’d eaten more in a single afternoon than he had in most days of his life.

“My stomach feels tight,” he said in discomfort. “I don’t know what this is.” Was it even possible for angels to get food poisoning? 

Annette looked at him peculiarly. “Feeling tight as in, feeling like your stomach is stretching a bit?”

Felix grunted in affirmation. “I bet it was the skewers.”

“Felix have you… never felt this after eating before?” Annette’s eyebrows were raised and she was still looking at him in a way that made him uncomfortable. Well,  _ more _ uncomfortable.

“What? No, I haven’t.”

Annette’s jaw dropped. “Felix, you’re feeling  _ full _ . You’ve eaten until you’re  _ full _ . Have you not had the chance to eat this much before?”

“I certainly have, but why the hell would anyone ever eat until it’s painful?”

Annette continued to stare at him for a moment before she started giggling. Then she started chortling, and her laughter continued to escalate until she was doubled over in her seat with tears in her eyes.

“People do this regularly?” Felix said, completely aghast. 

At that, Annette’s laughter redoubled despite her protestations of “Ow” and “My stomach”. Even through his bloated misery, he couldn’t help but be entertained by her mirth. He had never seen someone laugh until they cried, except perhaps the one time that Glenn had tricked him into being the participant in a traveling troupe’s performance. He could swear he saw tears of glee in Glenn’s eyes as Felix glared stiffly into the crowd, unmoving as the dancers flowed around him. 

“I’m glad at least one of us is enjoying ourselves,” he said dryly. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she gasped, wiping away her tears. “It was just the look on your face, I couldn’t help it.” 

At that moment, the sound of lutes emanated from the center of the market. 

“The play! Felix we have to go and get seats!” Annette burst from her seat and deftly pulled him by his hand as if she hadn’t just achieved her goal of eating her body weight in street snacks. She pushed through the crowd with surprising strength, and soon they ended up in the front row of the seats set up for the performance. 

She plopped him down before taking a seat herself and waited expectantly, back straight and eyes sparkling. 

Felix chuckled under his breath and leaned back in his own seat as the first performer stepped onto the stage.

“ _ Into the thunderous waves of stormy sea  _

_ torn asunder by deluge and gale… _ ” 

A girl, lost in a storm. A father reappeared. A guardian with the power of magic, returned from the old. Felix beheld as Annette’s face shifted from fear to relief to wonder. 

_ “The thundering sounds of ocean downpour, _

_ Silenced as they breached clouds and submerged _

_ In the golden rays of sun, and surged _

_ Through billowing puffs of heaven’s floor.” _

The reflection of the candles being held by the performers danced in Annette’s eyes, and Felix watched, entranced by an entirely different spectacle than the one playing out on stage. Through her eyes, he saw himself and Annette, sitting on a couch in front of the embers of a dying fireplace. He saw her falling asleep on his shoulder with a smile on her face.

Felix wasn’t a fool. Unlike all of the unfamiliar emotions she had dragged out of him in the last few months, this one burned clear. It branded its name upon his heart and scorched through every vein in his body, a stream of warmth followed by a flood pain. Even as Felix beheld the vision flickering in the sea of blue, he rejected its pull. It was not a future he could ever achieve.

He jerked to attention as the crowd applauded thunderously. Annette was on her feet, clapping and cheering as the performers bowed. As the company left the stage, Annette sat again and turned to him, lips pulled upwards into a bright smile.

“Wasn’t that amazing?”

“Not bad,” he tried to say offhandedly as he tried to chase away the vestiges of his heartache. He must have failed though, because Annette’s brow furrowed.

“Felix, are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” he said stiffly, but her stare drove straight through him. He forced his face to settle into a relaxed state and tried to draw her attention to something -- anything else. “Nothing a little food can’t fix.” 

Annette grinned widely at the mention of food, and Felix felt his facial muscles, if not smile, ease more naturally.

“Well come on then, never-been-full-Felix! I’ll teach you what people mean by ‘a second stomach for desserts’!” 

“Those people must be deranged,” he said flatly, and Annette let out a peal of laughter. Still, he allowed himself to be pulled along as Annette searched for a food stall they hadn’t yet been to. 

“Oh!” Felix almost ran over Annette as she stopped suddenly in front of a stall that was mystifyingly devoid of desserts. Instead, the vendor seemed to be selling various woodcarvings, ranging from accessories to signs to statues.

“Woodcarvings, made from artists across the continent! Would you like to purchase one, good lady and good sir?”

Annette stood very still, captivated by some of the smaller figurines. One in particular, a beautifully sculpted robin, seemed to be drawing her attention. 

“How much is this one?” Annette asked hesitantly, pointing at the wooden bird. 

“Fifty gold, ma’am!” 

Annette opened her purse but groaned as a few coins clinked around. Unfortunately, Felix’s own pockets had emptied as well. He scanned the area until his eyes rested on the slightly rusted sword hanging on the street vendor’s belt. 

“How about a trade?” Felix offered. It was a desperate endeavor, but worth a try. “I have weapons for sale. I can get you a better one of those if you give me a moment.” He gestured at the sword. 

“Felix I can’t let you do that!” Annette protested. “We’re supposed to be getting something to make you feel better, not losing you money! Come on,” she said as she attempted to pull him away. 

He did not budge. He saw how Annette had gazed forlornly at the figurine, reminiscent of when she had attempted to barter with him for Crusher. 

“Bold of you to assume I’m buying it for you,” he said with a smirk on his face. 

Annette’s mouth opened, but only a giggle came out. 

The street vendor was looking at both of them thoughtfully. “Normally I wouldn’t consider a trade, but we are in need of new weapons. Some of our best artists are in Adrestian territory and, well,” the vendor shrugged. “It can get dangerous. If you bring the swords, we can see whether they’re a good fit and I’d be happy to make a trade.” 

With this, Annette acquiesced. “Fine! But I’m paying you back for the weapon’s worth as soon as I can!” Only when Felix nodded his assent did she finally break into a smile.

“Wait here, I’ll go grab the swords,” Felix told her.

“Okay!” Annette said cheerfully. She immediately turned to the vendor with questions. “Where did this one come from?”

“This is actually one of the pieces that came from a woodcarver in the Empire…”

Their conversation fell away as Felix made his way to where his wares were stored. Once he got there, he extracted some swords, testing their weight. After a few minutes, he finally chose a couple of weapons and made his way back to Annette.

Sifting through the crowd, Felix spotted her. He was about to call her name when he noticed her face; she looked stricken and pale, with her jaw dropped open in an expression of utter agitation.

Felix was beside her in a second. “Annette, are you okay? What happened?  _ What did you say _ ?” he snarled, rounding on the street vendor who himself looked only bewildered and terrified upon being accosted by a man holding three swords.

“Nothing happened,” Annette stuttered, grasping his arm and steering him away from the vendor. He noticed with alarm that her hands were trembling even as they gripped him. “Everything is fine Felix, but I have to go. Don’t worry, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She broke away, practically bolting from him. 

“Annette, wait,” he said, pursuing her after giving the petrified vendor one last glare. “Wait!” 

It was as if she didn’t hear him. She slid through the crowd easily and Felix had to push past people to keep up, ignoring the cries of indignation that were directed at him. He got closer and closer until he was near enough to reach for her arm and-

He stopped in his tracks. He was standing at the market entrance with his hand outstretched, and Annette was nothing more than a shrinking speck of red and blue. 

Felix clenched his fists and swore loudly in frustration, scattering the people passing by. He growled and turned on his heel, intent on finding the vendor and figuring out what the hell just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway there! The "I have never been full" conversation was based off of a real-life conversation I've had with someone else. I thought it suited Felix quite well haha.
> 
> This chapter was beta read by TheOtherBucket, check out their works!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags updated to include canon-typical violence!

The next day, Felix waited anxiously for Annette to return. Concern gnawed at him; he had never seen her so shaken. When he made his way back to the woodcarving stall, the original vendor had been replaced with another. Apparently the first man had left, and no amount of threats had brought him back. 

Felix did not find Annette as he scanned the crowd, but another familiar face caught his eye. 

“Hey.  _ Hey _ , Caspar.” 

The brigand slowed and sauntered over, a meat bun in his hand. Annette had come with him once before when Caspar wanted a new weapon. 

“‘Sup Felix?” Caspar said, his mouth full of food. “Got a discount on axes?”

“Have you seen Annette since yesterday?” Felix ignored Caspar’s question. “She seemed… upset when we parted ways yesterday.”

“Nope, haven’t seen her,” Caspar said unhelpfully, finally swallowing his food. 

“Alright. If you do, can you-”

“Although,” Caspar interrupted, taking another bite of the meat bun as Felix felt his impatience spike, “I think I heard her last night. Arguing with Dimitri in his tent.”

Felix forced himself to breathe evenly, his desire for information winning over his desire to smack the other man. “The commander of the army?” Felix had never met Dimitri personally, but Annette had spoken of him at length. She had told Felix many stories of the man she regarded as a brother, and it was only much later that Felix heard from Ashe that Dimitri was the king of Fargheus.

“Yeah. She was saying something about ‘I know I’m right’ and Dimitri was saying something like ‘We can’t risk it,’” Caspar said, mimicking their voices as he told his story. Felix didn’t know about Dimitri, but he was certain that Annette would be none too flattered at Caspar’s imitation of her.

“Thanks. If you see her, just tell her she knows where to find me.”

“Sure thing!” And Caspar left, likely off to find more food. 

Felix didn’t know what this additional information meant. It sounded like Annette wanted to do something dangerous, something that Dimitri was against. The last thing he had heard Annette and the merchant discussing was the origin of the wooden robin. Was that even related to her and Dimitri’s conversation?

Felix ruminated on what little information he had. He growled at any human that approached, more irritable than usual. He ended up worrying the entire day away, making no sales, unable to focus even on polishing the weapons. Felix was closing up shop for the day when he finally saw her walking towards him. 

“Annette,” he said with relief, taking a step towards her before he caught himself.

“Hey Felix,” she said with her customary smile, but Felix saw how her eyes were unfocused and distracted. Her mind was clearly elsewhere. It was almost as if she had wandered to his stall by accident.

“Are you okay?” he asked cautiously. “After yesterday, I wasn’t sure…”

“Oh, I’m fine! I didn’t mean to make you worry.” 

Felix frowned. She clearly was not fine, but she didn’t seem inclined to talk about whatever it was she had heard the day before.

“Are you sure?”

Annette hesitated for a moment before she spoke. “Actually, can I ask… about your brother?” 

Felix stiffened, but Annette had averted her gaze. Why in the world would she want to know about Glenn? Felix had only mentioned Glenn the one time, after she spoke about… her father. Who used to make wood carvings as she watched. 

Ah.

“What do you want to know?” he asked carefully. 

“You said- you said he was gone?”

Felix remembered how Rodrigue had given him the news. Nonchalantly. Dispassionately. As if Glenn had been just another pawn in the game. As if Glenn’s life had no value.

“He’s gone,” Felix said. He couldn’t help Glenn anymore but he could still help Annette who, if Felix did his job right, would change everyone’s lives in the way Glenn could not.

“But if you could get him back… You said you would do anything?” Her words were halting as she finally looked at him. He saw waves of desperation and uncertainty swimming in her eyes. 

Rodrigue had said Annette was on the right path after she first spoke of her father. Was it possible that her fate was tied to the man? While Felix didn’t want her to do anything reckless, he knew that if she made the right choices, she would be safe in her destiny. 

All he had to do was guide her.

“Anything,” he said hoarsely. 

Annette nodded thoughtfully, then gently pulled his hand into both of hers. He squeezed her hand in return, so small outside his own, yet large enough to hold the weight of tens of thousands.

“I think I would do the same,” she said softly. While he could still see her thoughts reeling, her uncertainty had faded and her shoulders were set with determination. “Thank you, Felix.” She pulled away from him and left without another word.

He watched as she faded into the crowd, and couldn’t explain the sinking feeling in his chest.

* * *

Before opening his stall the next day, Felix once again felt the buzz in his mind summoning him to meet the Archangel. This time, he didn’t wait his customary amount of time before responding; the sun was rising, and Annette might visit again before she did whatever it was she was going to do. He didn’t want to open late. 

He warped to the Archangel’s office.

“Sit,” the Archangel said, directing to the chair in front of his desk. 

Felix stood behind the chair instead. 

“What did you call me here for? I have to open up shop soon.” 

Rodrigue raised an eyebrow at Felix, looking up from the documents he was perusing. “My, aren’t we eager to return to the humans?”

Felix clamped his mouth shut, declining to respond.

The Archangel focused his attention back on his papers. “You don’t need to open up shop, actually. Your mission is complete. Thanks to you, your charge will fulfil her destiny. You can go to the human world long enough to pack up your station, but you are to return immediately. You’ll have a few months before your next mission.”

Felix’s mouth dried. He felt like a weight had dropped into his stomach, and an inexplicable lump had appeared in his throat. 

“The mission is complete?” He choked out. 

“That’s right. Congratulations on another successful execution.” 

“Because she’s going to find her father?” Felix asked hoarsely. 

Rodrigue looked disapprovingly at Felix. “Need-to-know-” 

“-basis, I know,” Felix was still rooted to the spot in disbelief. 

He knew this day would come. He possibly should have expected it after yesterday’s conversation, but he had blindly believed that he still had time with her.

“Can I say goodbye?” He found himself saying. He didn’t know what exactly he would say to her, but he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving without telling her anything at all, leaving her to wonder why he had left just like her father. 

Rodrigue looked up at Felix again, surprised. His gaze searched Felix’s face, looking for what, Felix did not know and did not care. 

“Alright. But I will remind you again of the laws, and the consequences when you break them.” Rodrigue’s eyes did not leave Felix’s. “Make it quick and report back to me afterwards for your full mission debrief.”

Felix nodded numbly and exited the office. He should be happy. Happy that Annette was going to end the decade-long war. Happy that despite whatever she was about to do, she would be safe. Instead, he only felt a sense of loss driving deeper and deeper into his heart.

He warped back to the human world. 

* * *

Felix stood at his stall, hoping with everything in him that Annette would stop by, would allow him to say goodbye. The cloudy sky matched his darkening mood.

His heart stung with joy and pain as he saw her running towards him, Crusher and a traveling pack strapped to her back. Had it been a normal day, he would have been relieved at how her previously melancholy seemed to have dissipated. 

“Felix!” She called excitedly as she neared him. His heart dropped as his name fell from her lips for possibly the last time. 

“Hey,” he said with a small smile. 

“I’m going on an extended mission and I won’t be back for a while,” she said, scratching the back of her head. “I just wanted to let you know because I know you’ll be worried otherwise. And, um, it’s kind of a secret mission so don’t ask anyone else about it okay?”

Transparent as always. Normally he would have rolled his eyes and asked if she thought he was stupid. Normally he might have even laughed a little.

“Got it,” he said, unable to bring himself to say more in the face of her cheer.

“Oh Felix, this is going to be a great mission,” she said, grasping both of his hands and swinging them around. “I can’t tell you too much more right now, but I’ll see you when I come back and I’ll tell you how it all went! Don’t get too lonely without me.” 

She laughed as she turned to leave, but one of his hands had maintained its grip on hers. She looked back at him questioningly.

“Annette.” He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, to no avail. “I won’t be here when you get back.” 

Her mouth parted slightly as surprise crossed her face. 

“I’m moving shop. Back to my hometown.” He averted his eyes. He hated the lies that he had to tell her. He hated that he had to bid her farewell.

“... why?” 

He winced as her voice, normally so full of life and energy, deadpanned. Her hand was lifeless in his. 

“They need me back at home. I received a letter summoning me back.” 

“Oh. M- maybe I can visit one day. Or you can visit here.” 

“I can’t, and you can’t. This is goodbye.” 

“I see.” 

He chanced a look at her and his heart wrenched as he saw her eyes shimmering with tears, a smile forced onto her face. 

“I understand, Felix. You need to go. I get it.” 

She tried to remove her hand from his, but he continued to hold on desperately. 

“Annette-“ 

“Don’t worry about me!” She said in a falsely bright voice, even as tears spilled over her cheeks. Each one was like a hammer to his chest, and he cursed at his own blurring vision. “Just take care of yourself, okay?” 

She jerked her hand away, and this time he let her go. She gave him one last smile before she ran away, and his insides twisted as he heard her sob. 

He stood there, jaw clenched. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there before he was able to tear himself away from the spot he had been rooted to. This was for the best. The war was going to end, thanks to her.

Felix heard thunder in the distance as he slowly, excruciatingly, started packing his wares for the last time.

* * *

Felix stood in front of his empty stall. The thunder had continued for the last hour and the clouds threatened rain more and more with each passing moment. Even so, his feet had taken him back to the marketplace after he returned his wares to the original outpost. There was nothing left for him here, yet he still didn’t want to leave.

A faint voice was yelling in the distance. Felix ignored it; likely some drunkards got started much too early and were in a brawl. The yelling came closer, though, until Felix could finally make out a few of the words. 

“Help! Help please!” 

A guard intercepted the man, babbling in a panic, before he could enter the market. A crowd gathered, and Felix could barely make out the words.

“Bandits attacked… further down the road… woman with a warhammer...”

Felix snapped to attention. 

_ Do not leave your station again. _

A few people exclaimed in indignation as they were pushed to the side, but Felix was already sprinting down the road.  _ It can’t be _ . Her destiny was to end the war. She couldn’t - shouldn’t - be in danger, unless he had changed her path by saying goodbye. 

_ No. No no no. _

As soon as the crowd was out of sight, he pulled out his wings and jumped into the air, not caring if he was seen. The black feathers sliced through the darkening sky as he propelled forward. She had Crusher with her and he knew how capable she was, but he also knew she hadn’t had any physical exertion for weeks. She was healing from an injury. She was in danger. A familiar buzzing entered his mind again.  _ No, not now. Not now! _

He ignored the summons and continued flying. Soon enough he started hearing the clashing of metal against metal. He flew as close as he dared before he dropped back to the ground and continued to sprint. 

Time slowed as he came upon the scene of the battle. Annette, dripping with sweat as Crusher locked against the sword of a bandit. Three bodies on the ground; friendly or not, he couldn’t tell -- it didn’t matter. One bandit standing behind her with an arrow drawn. Another with his sword, getting to his feet, with his back to Felix. She didn’t see either of them, she wouldn’t see in time, he wouldn’t get there in time unless-

_ Guardian angels do not meddle in human events _ .

A thunderous crash split the air as a bolt of red struck the bandit holding the bow. The archer was blown backward as birds erupted from the trees nearby, cawing in alarm. The smell of ozone permeated the air, and they all turned to look at him.

“Felix, wha-”

“What the-” 

The buzzing had turned into a high-pitched ringing, but Felix continued to ignore it. He dashed forward and the bandit that was getting up fell to the ground again, dead within seconds. The remaining bandit stared at his fallen comrades, blanching. Annette took advantage of his distraction and swung. Crusher met its target and the final bandit fell. 

Felix wasted no time. He sheathed his sword and ran towards her. 

“Annette, are you okay? Are you hurt?” He reached out to touch her, but she jerked away, breathing heavily. He felt like one of the bandits had stabbed him with their sword.

“That was magic.” Her eyes were wide, filled with shock, awe… fear. The imaginary sword in his chest dug deeper. “You know magic. How do you... How-”

“Annette, please,” he begged, desperate to make her understand. The ringing had risen in pitch and his head was throbbing. He didn’t have long before he would be taken back. He grasped her shoulders, as much to steady himself as to keep her listening. 

_ Guardian angels do not reveal themselves or their purpose. _

“I’m not a human, I’m a guardian angel.” The words came tumbling out; unable to think of any excuse through the pain, he told the truth. Red and yellow lights were flashing across his vision and he could no longer see her face clearly, but he felt her gasping breaths through his grip on her arms. “I’m  _ your _ guardian angel. Your destiny is to end this war, and you don’t need me to do it anymore.”

He could barely make out her shaking her head. 

“No,” she said as her voice cracked, “no. Felix, I don’t understand-”

“I’m not supposed to tell you any of this-” He cried out as his head pulsed more strongly. He grasped his head in his hands and fell to his knees as his legs gave way beneath him.

“Felix!” Annette cried as she dropped to the ground beside him, holding him on by his shoulders just as he had been holding her seconds ago. “What’s happening? What can I do?” 

Even through the haze of pain, his heart panged as he realized she was putting aside her panic, her confusion, for him. 

He breathed in as deeply as he could and brought his hands to her face, choking down the bile rising in his throat. He focused on her eyes, which were now and would forever be his favorite color of blue. 

“You’ll do great.” Each word took a mountain of strength from him, but he needed to say it. She needed to hear it. “I wish I could stay. Annette…

I love you.” 

He didn’t hear if she responded. He screamed as the pain tore through the rest of his body, ripping him from the human world, and darkness enveloped him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I name the entire fic based off of one scene near the end? 
> 
> Yes, Yes I did.
> 
> If you're reading, hope you enjoyed reading! This chapter was beta read by RoseisaRoseisaRose, check out their amazing works!

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the end of chapter 1 of my first multi-chapter fic! Been working on this one for like 9 months, ended up re-writing the entire story a couple of times. Excited to have you guys on this journey with me, hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> This chapter is beta read by the amazing RoseisaRoseisaRose and TheOtherBucket, both of whom have amazing amazing fics you should also check out!


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